Top 10 ways to make Pokemon on the Wii U work

Pokemon is one of Nintendo's most successful franchises, and while the series has certainly flourished on handhelds, it isn't particularly known for crossing over onto home consoles very often or very successfully. The few Pokemon games we have gotten on systems like the Nintendo 64, GameCube, and Wii have all been spin-offs that don't focus on the RPG tropes that made the handheld titles so addictive and so incredible.

Is it time for Nintendo to break out of its shell and release a proper Pokemon RPG on a home console? The Wii U would certainly be a fitting avenue for that venture. Here are 10 ways for Nintendo to create a great Pokemon game for its upcoming platform.

Let the tablet controller be used like the DS touchscreen for battles

Pokemon games on the DS have the minor yet noteworthy benefit of featuring touchscreen controls for battles. By allowing players to simply tap on whatever actions they want to take next during battles, Pokemon games on the DS deliver a highly intuitive and responsive system that works well and feels organic. Sure, maneuvering around battle menus using the D-pad has never been troublesome, but there's something satisfying about being able to choose your next move with a simple tap.

Throw in online play akin to the handheld games

Being able to battle other trainers online is one of the major selling points of the current crop of Pokemon games. While we still don't have all the details on the Wii U's online component, Nintendo has assured us that it will be more in line with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Any improvements over the Wii's online capabilities are most certainly welcome, and if the Wii U can deliver a strong online element, Pokemon could truly succeed as one of the top games to play online on the console.